Slow Motion Rocket Videos

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I am getting my latest project ready for launching. It has a Chronos high speed camera on board (as well as many others) that will shoot at over 1,000 fps at nearly 1080P quality. It won't capture the entire flight but I want to see super slow motion of the strap on boosters deploying as well as separation at apogee. I'll post the video eventually...
FC01.jpg
 
Here is a link for one of the strap on boosters in slow motion. It is put to music for mbeels . I'm saving the best videos, including the super slow motion clips, for a complete video that I am currently working on about the project. I am extremely please with the footage and images.
 
Very cool footage! It took me a few seconds to realize I could see the shadow from the smoke trail on the ground. Was this your rocket? Did you use trackers on the boosters?

Thanks, yes, my rocket. Half of the strap on boosters had trackers, one for each pair. We did loose one strap on booster (without tracker) and one nose cone with the tracker but no signal coming from it. They have my name and phone number on them so I might get lucky. The SOB's need to be redesigned and rebuilt. They were suppose to be stable... I'm also considering upgrading the camera for them. But I am not disappointed with the results.
 
Those were nice launches, even though the rockets all seemed to be quite similar. I liked the music and the sparky motors and black smoke. And the mach diamonds on that last one were cool. But did we ever get to see SkyPilot fly?

Are there any super-slow-mo videos with a more zoomed in view of the nozzle as the rocket takes off?

It would be great if the camera could track the nozzle as the rocket left the pad!

There was a kid on Reddit who had built a track mechanism for his GoPro. I'll see if I can dig up his post. Basically he used the projected thrust curve to fairly accurately track a rocket from the pad up. Pretty cool effect and video.

Edit: easier than I thought -
 
There was a kid on Reddit who had built a track mechanism for his GoPro... Basically he used the projected thrust curve to fairly accurately track a rocket from the pad up...

That's great that camera tracks the rocket! Now we need the camera to automatically zoom in on it too!
 
There was a kid on Reddit who had built a track mechanism for his GoPro. I'll see if I can dig up his post. Basically he used the projected thrust curve to fairly accurately track a rocket from the pad up. Pretty cool effect and video.

My system works pretty well too. I've been using it for over 20 years. Here are clips from NSL last weekend, rocket launching at 7.5 G's. No audio.
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You need to let us in on your trick - that's pretty awesome.

I haven't updated the web site in quite a while but the method is described here:
Theory
I change my set up almost yearly especially the cameras so the site gets behind quickly. I update the mounts regularly but the methodology hasn't changed. I use Sony's exclusively except I use the Chronos for the super slow motion shots.
 
Your videos are awesome Doug!

How did your flight with the strap on boosters go at NSL?

Keep up the good work!

It went very well. I'm still working on the final video, it might take a few weeks. See post #34 for a clip from one of the strap on boosters. I'm saving the best footage for the actual video.
 
Here is the full video about my project. The super high speed footage is at the beginning and near the end but slow motion is elsewhere in the video.

Wow, that is an amazing rocket and by some margin the best rocket video I've seen. Fantastic work all around. 👍 👍 👍

I would love to hear details of the construction of that ribbed transition, which looked fantastic.
 
I would love to hear details of the construction of that ribbed transition, which looked fantastic.

Well it isn't rocket science, just a 3D print. Structurally, I used a 6" coupler centered in the 8" coupler. The printed part is just for looks and aerodynamics. I wanted to do something different than a simple conic. So the 'transition' is sort of 'S' shape. Then the 'cooling fins' were added for looks.
FC09.jpg

The tricky part was the painting.
 
Here is the full video about my project. The super high speed footage is at the beginning and near the end but slow motion is elsewhere in the video.


Not to belittle the awesome flights and videos others have posted over the years, but that video raises the bar quite a bit. That deserves to be on TV for the general public to see. Loved not only the quality of the flight and the number and placement of cameras, but the editing is great. Adding the little sounds and script in post was both tasteful and augmented the presentation.

Great work on all counts!

Sandy.
 
Here is the full video about my project. The super high speed footage is at the beginning and near the end but slow motion is elsewhere in the video.


Wow! Finally had the chance to watch it without distraction, that qualifies as epic. I hope it gets the views and attention it deserves. I'd watch a "director's cut" version with even more footage (like from the boosters!). And pulling off such a complex launch like that successfully is super impressive. Great video, flight, and rocket!
 
@Eyesinthesky, Doug, the "Final Cut" video, the rocket, the camera array, all are simply without peer. Elon Musk doesn't give us footage this good - I'm quite serious - plus his Starships keep blowing up!

I can't even imagine the cost of this, both in equipment and the hours of labor of love. You've done something I may only ever dream of, kinda what I wish I could do with my pipe dream Saturn V except with really good cameras all over creation. I have to look upthread now and see some of the rest of the videos you posted, I missed them somehow.

And that finned transition! Mighty purty!
 
First video- aerotech HV arcas/G38 FJ
Second video 4in micro mag/E15…had some issues
 

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